Why Do People Get Fat?

What Is Fat?

Fat is your body’s way of storing energy. Long before grocery stores and an abundance of food, humans actually had to worry about when their next meal was coming. In those days, fat was survival—your body’s backup fuel for when food wasn’t available. Before we could store food in jars and pots for winter, we stored it in our bodies: on our stomachs, hips, and “love handles.”

Think about bears. They eat a ton before winter, get really fat, and hibernate in caves for months, living off their stored fat. By the time they emerge in the spring, they’ve burned through most of it. That’s the real purpose of fat—temporary storage for when you might not eat for a while.

But here’s the thing: you’re not a bear. You don’t need to bulk up for winter, and you’re certainly not going to starve yourself while nursing a calf in Mexico like a whale does. In other words, you’re not supposed to just carry fat around for fun. In fact, it can kill you.

Don’t wait until you’re on your deathbed after a heart attack to say, “Damn, I shouldn’t have eaten that.” Think ahead!

Fat is the biggest killer in the United States. People are dying from heart attacks because their arteries are clogged with fat. Isn’t that ridiculous? Eating yourself to death? You need to think about your future and your family. Stop being, well, fat and stupid. Harsh? Maybe. But it’s the truth.

Fat doesn’t just affect your physical health—it messes with your mind. You feel bad about yourself, you die sooner, and worst of all, it ruins how you think about yourself. Why can’t you just not do it? You want to lose weight, you want to be healthier and look better, but you “can’t.” That pizza is too hard to resist? Are you an animal?

The Self-Control Secret

Imagine a dog with a steak in front of it. Is the dog going to say, “Nah, I’m trying to stay sexy. I’ll pass.” No way! The dog eats the steak—it’s instinct.

Now, think about you. Instead of a steak, it’s a fast-food drive-thru, and you’re hungry. Do you want to eat there? Of course! It’s tasty, and you’re starving. But can you drive past without stopping? Yes, you can! And here’s why: self-control. It’s mental, not physical.

It actually takes more effort and money to stop and buy food than it does to just drive by. But that’s the secret no one talks about—self-control is what truly helps you. Diet food, pills, equipment, personal trainers—they all cost money. But learning to just say no? That’s free, and it’s what actually works. It’s hard at first, but trust me, it doesn’t stay hard.

What You Can’t Do

“I’ll start tomorrow!”

No! If you ever say “I’ll start tomorrow,” you probably won’t. How many times have you said that and never started? If you really want to lose weight and be healthier, you have to start right now.

So get on your back and do some sit-ups. (But read the warning first—don’t hurt yourself!) Do them right now. Then get back up, read some more, and do 10 more. Before bed, do 10 more. When you wake up tomorrow, do it again. That alone is a great start.

Think of It Like a Bank

Exercise is like withdrawing money from your bank account, and eating is like making a deposit. The goal here is to get in debt—burn more than you put in. Think of pounds as money you’re trying to lose, and track it like you would your finances.

Breaking the Fast-Food Cycle

I used to think fast food was the devil. I’d hear this little voice in my head saying, “Come on, eat some fast food—just this once!” And of course, I’d give in, telling myself, “This is the last time!” But it never was. The next day, I’d do it again.

You know what finally worked? I just stopped. I turned off my excuses, drove past the drive-thru, and went home to eat something better for me. And guess what? I wasn’t hungry anymore, and I actually felt proud of myself instead of disappointed.

The next day, that little devil inside was still there, but he stabbed a little softer. And every day that I just said no, I got stronger—not just physically, but mentally too.

No More “Last Time”

Every time you say, “This is the last time,” it won’t be. If you’re about to order a pizza or drive through for fast food and think, “This is the last time,” STOP. Don’t order it, don’t drive through. You need to stop before that “last time,” because it’s never really the last time.

My Story: Saying No to Meat

I decided to stop eating meat. It wasn’t easy. I’d walk past delicious-looking beef and chicken, and every time, I’d say, “Tomorrow, I’ll stop tomorrow.” And then tomorrow would come, and I’d do it again.

But one day, I was standing in line at a mall getting Mongolian stir fry. I saw some frozen turkey and thought, “Okay, tomorrow.” But then it hit me: No, you idiot, today is the day! Stop putting it off! And I didn’t eat meat that day—or any day since.

That’s how I learned to say no to tomorrow and meant it. It was the first time I really committed to it.

Stopping Bad Habits—For Real

This applies to any addiction—food, cigarettes, whatever. If you keep saying, “This is the last time,” you’ll keep doing it. The hardest part is the first month. Food is an addiction, with physical withdrawals just like any drug. But unlike drugs, you can’t quit food cold turkey—you still have to eat.

For the first couple of weeks, your body will beg for the junk food it’s used to. You’ll feel like something is missing. But you can fill that void with new, healthier habits. Chew gum, switch to non-fat ice cream, go for a walk—whatever it takes to keep your mind off those old habits.

The first few weeks are hard, but it gets easier. You can break bad habits if you just don’t give up.

Forming New Habits

They say it takes three weeks to break a habit. I say it takes about three months to truly solidify new ones. You have to stick with it longer than just a two-week program—you’re changing your life, not just doing a quick fix.

If you fall off the wagon, don’t use it as an excuse to stay down. It’s okay to have bad days, but the important thing is to get back up and keep going.

Getting Fuller, Faster

Did you know your stomach stretches and expands based on how much you eat? People who eat large meals regularly have bigger stomachs, which means it takes more food for them to feel full. One of the first things you can do to lose weight is to shrink your stomach—by eating smaller meals.

For the first week or two, you’ll feel hungrier after those smaller meals. But soon, your stomach will adjust and contract, and you’ll feel full faster. The more you stick with it, the easier it gets.

Tips for Eating Less and Feeling Full

• Eat slowly – Chewing more helps you get full faster.

• It’s okay to feel a little hungry – That feeling passes in a few minutes.

• Drink water halfway through your meal – It helps you feel fuller.

• Eat a salad before your main meal – It’s low in calories and fills you up.

• Snack smart – Eat something healthy before a big meal so you don’t overeat.

What Holds You Back? Excuses

Excuses are the number one thing holding people back from success. In the next section, we’ll tackle the most common excuses and how to overcome them.